Azerbaijan continues its political, economic and, above all, military attacks on the Armenian people living in Artsakh, writes Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut in her article in Providence magazine.

"On December 12, Azerbaijan blocked the crucial Lachin corridor, which is the only lifeline for the Republic of Artsakh. It is Artsakh's way into the outside world. This blockade means that Artsakh is now deprived of food, medicine and other essentials delivered to the region through the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas supplies to Artsakh, creating another humanitarian crisis there. This is the third gas cut-off this year. On December 16, gas supply to Artsakh was restored, but the Azerbaijani blockade continues to cut off the 120,000 Armenians living in the region from the rest of the world.


This aggression culminated in the 44-day Azeri-Turkish war against Artsakh in 2020, during which numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed against Armenians. Executions without trial, torture, inhumane treatment, large-scale destruction of property, illegal deportation and hostage-taking were commonplace. During the war, the Azerbaijani armed forces deliberately targeted civilians by shelling towns and villages in Artsakh.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports Azerbaijan's war against Armenians, have repeatedly made it clear that their goal is to ethnically cleanse the region of its Armenian population.

On January 29, 2015, for example, Aliyev tweeted, "Armenia is not even a colony, it is not even worthy of being a servant."

After Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement on November 9, 2020, Aliyev addressed the Azerbaijani people on November 10: "We put him [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan] in his place. We taught him a lesson. We chased them [Armenians] away from our lands like dogs. I said that we would chase them, that we would chase them like dogs, and we chased them like dogs. He [Pashinian] is now signing this document out of fear, knowing that we will come to Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin. No one can stop us. Everyone sees our strength, everyone knows what our iron fist represents...We said that we will drive the enemy out of our lands! We are not interested in any negotiations.

In April 2021, Aliyev opened a "War Trophy Park" in Baku with a display of helmets and caricatured dummies of Armenian soldiers to dehumanize them by publicly humiliating Armenian victims and prisoners of war. Aliyev proudly walked through a gallery of helmets of fallen Armenian soldiers in the park.

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has published a special public report titled "An amusement park of murdered Armenian soldiers and chained prisoners of war opened in Baku: a museum of human suffering and racist propaganda." According to the report: "The park is a clear manifestation of racism and related violence that poses a serious immediate danger to Armenian POWs. The Azerbaijani authorities obviously know that this sensitive demonstration will cause heartache and suffering to the families of the missing and captives, as well as to Armenian society at large. The opening of such a "park" clearly underlines the official hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan and openly demonstrates the state policy of hostility and constant propaganda. This policy, supported by concrete evidence, has in fact been consistently implemented over many years."

The report gives more examples of Aliyev's grotesque hatred of Armenians.

At the opening of the park, Aliyev said, "An Armenian is a barbarian who digs graves and pulls out the golden teeth of the dead."

He added: "We will continue to expel these (Armenians) liars. Now they see who is who. They see that we taught them a lesson they will never forget. (...) They have no conscience and no morals. They do not even have brains."

"Yerevan [the capital of Armenia] is our historical land. We Azerbaijanis will return to these historical lands. This is our political and strategic goal, and gradually we will reach it." "Armenia as a country has no value. In fact, it is a colony, an outpost ruled from abroad, a territory artificially created on ancient Azerbaijani lands."

Turkish President Erdogan also declared ambitions of war against Artsakh after signing a cease-fire agreement.

At a "victory parade" organized in Baku to celebrate Turkey and Azerbaijan's joint "military victory" over Artsakh, Erdogan delivered a speech praising Enver Pasha, one of the organizers of the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, which claimed the lives of some 1.5 million Armenians. An Ottoman military march was also played during the event.

Erdogan referred to the 1918 Islamic Army of the Caucasus, created by Enver Pasha and led by the Ottoman commander Nuri Pasha. The Islamic Army of the Caucasus was responsible for the massacres of the non-Muslim population of Baku, which consisted mainly of Armenians. Erdogan said at the time:  "Today is the day when the souls of Nuri Pasha, Enver Pasha and the brave soldiers of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus are blessed."

With their actions and statements, both Aliyev and Erdogan state that they are seeking another attack on the Armenian people in the region. Before our eyes another potential genocide of Armenians is unfolding. What are we doing to prevent this?"